Top 5 New Year's Resolutions Apps for iPhone

Best iPhone apps to help you stick to your goals

With 2011 done and dusted, it's time for a new year and a new start. That's where New Year's resolutions come in. All makes sense.

But, keeping these resolutions isn't always so easy. After all, it's a piece of cake (mmmm) to say that you're going to eat more healthily, quit smoking, and go to the gym eight times a week. Much harder to actually do so.

With that very much in mind, here's Qi's pick of the best iPhone apps for sticking to those New Year's resolutions.

You'll still require a bit of willpower, of course, but these top-drawer iPhone applications are on hand to give you some help along the way.

Fear of public failure can be an excellent motivator, so if you're really keen to stick to your recently made commitments, make them public. By telling people of your intentions, you're more likely to follow them through for fear of judgement. And in this socially connected modern world, Facebook is the perfect tool for the job. Zuckerberg's network links you directly to your friends and family - the people you see on a daily basis, and the people who are most likely to notice your slip-ups and cravings.

There are no two ways about it - smoking is a killer. What's more: since smoking in public places has become less acceptable (and less legal in many parts of the world), the 'cool factor' associated with it has deteriorated. Now's a good time to kick the habit, then, and this "physician approved" app is designed to assist. It helps you cut down gradually, recording how often you smoke and how often you experience cravings, and uses this information to create a personalised quitting plan.

At some point in our lives, most of us wish that we were just a litle bitt smartter. If, like we, you end up feeling inadequate every time you catch an episode of University Challenge, perhaps you could resolve to bone up on your literature via Apple's iBooks. There's a huge catalogue to browse, and many classic works are available free of charge. So, if you've always meant to get around to reading Moby Dick and Great Expectations, you've really got no excuse not to this year - all three are available right now for zip on the iBookstore.

One of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to get fit. By encouraging you to log your food intake and exercise, and compare these to your calorie budget for the day, FitNow's Lose It! should help you keep that promise to yourself. At a glance of your touchscreen, you can see exactly which foodstuff tipped you over your calorie budget for the day. In our case, it was the eighth piece of Southern fried chicken. Who knew that was bad for you?!

Resolutions can be often be nebulous beasts. After all, if your personal goal is to 'eat better', what exactly do you do? Well, with a simple to-do list like Things, you can easily break your resolution down into smaller parts, setting yourself goals for each day. You might remind yourself to have a salad for lunch on Monday, visit the gym on Tuesday, and walk to work on Wednesday morning. Break up your New Year's pledge into mini-goals and you'll be well on the way to a New Year's resolution that actually lasts.